Air conditioning and speaker unit for automobiles



Oct. 7, 1952 J. R. KENDRICK 2,612,830

AIR CONDITIONING AND SPEAKER UNIT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 24, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l In venbr James R. Kendrick O 7, 1952. J. R. KENDRlCK 2,612,830

AIR CONDITIONING AND SPEAKER UNIT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 24, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET '2 Inventor 86 James R. Kendr/Z'k Mid WW Mit Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNlTEDuSTATES PATENT OFFICE,

AIR- CONDITIONING AND SPEAKER UNIT FOR AUTOMOBILES James R. Kendrick, Greenville, s. 0.

Application Mai-ch24, 1949, Serial No. 83,263

2 Claims.

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in attachments for use 'in connection with window openings of vehicles adapted particularly for use in certain public entertain- Another object of this invention is to draw outside, fresh air into the case which formsthe major part of the attachment and ,pass the air through a devious travelover a heating element or elements, and then exhaust the air on the inside of the vehicle and through an adjustable bafile to direct the air wherever it is found desirable, such as the rear seat, roof, floor, or other part of theinterior of the vehicle.

Another purpose of this invention is to selectively control theheater, 'fan and speaker, these elements being provided in the attachment.

' And another object of this invention is to releasably retain the case in a part of the conventional window opening by means of resilient anchoring members which are attached to the upper part of the substantially L-shaped housing and adjacent the junction of the two legs of the substantially L-shaped housing respectively, the" upper resilient member being removably disposed in the sill of the window opening and the other fastening element removably disposed on the upper edge of the window glass.

Another purpose of this invention is to supply an attachment of the character to be described,

rendering it possible and practical to operate outdoor theaters'throughout the ,year and to obviate the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning, whichpossibility arises in use of a conventional heater within a vehicle, necessitating the operation of the engine of the vehicle to maintain it in.

a warm condition.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty will become apparent to those skilled in .the art, .such

as the panel or panels carried by the case in order to fill a portion of the window opening and,.spe cifically, that portion above the upper edge of the window pane and below the upper part of the sill of the window whereby a substantially tight seal is effected similar to the type of seal found when the conventional window is in the full closed position.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective viewof a typical vehicle having the invention applied in a window opening;

' Figure 2 is a side view of the device shown in Figure 1, portions being broken away to illustrate details of construction;

Figure 3 is asectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and, in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of aportion of the device shown in Figure 1 and illustrative, primarily, of one type of panel fixed to the exterior of the case and the fresh air inlet;

Figure 6 is a typical wiring diagram of one form of wiring system and conventional appliances arranged in the case; and

Figure 7 is a view illustrating a slight departure or modification of the invention, and specifically showing the use of a different type of panel which is removably carried by the outside surface of the case, this panel being specifically shaped to suit the manufacturers make vehicle window opening.

The present invention has, for one of its prime intentions, the enlarging of the'season for use of the out-door type theater, out-door concerts, mass out-door television programs and the like. Entertainment along these lines is seasonal due to the cold winter occasioned in most parts of the country. Hence, by heating the interior of the vehicle'inwhich the customers reside, a larger inducement for customers will be present. Accordingly, the present invention incorporates the necessary speaker, together with a controllable theater and fan in a single attachment for removable disposition in apart of a windowopening of a conventional vehicle.

The structure of the invention includes a substantially L-shaped case generally indicated at l0 and including what might be considered-legs I2 and M, respectively. A partition I6 is disposed in the case separatingthesaid case into a speaker compartment '18 and a heater compartment 2!]. It will be noted at this point thatreference is' made to a heater compartment. However, this compartment is not necessarily limited to a "heater compartment, although a heater is 26 and is in 'a circuit including wires 30 and 3!, separate from the circuit including wires 32 and 33. The last-mentioned circuit has the heater 24 disposed therein as well as the fan motor and 4 and more specifically in the leg [4 that is exterior of the vehicle. This fresh air inlet may be in the back of the case as disclosed, or bottom side of the leg M as found desirable. When it is in the back as disclosed, a hood 16 is disposed thereover in order to prevent rain and snow from entering the fresh air inlet. A filter 18 is disposed in the fresh air inlet opening, and more specifically, "'i s"carr'i'ed, in a suitablejb'rackt or framing 80 which also-supports the hood 16.

A plurality of bafiles 82 is provided within the I air chamber 20, requiring the air taken in the a rheostat 34 for the fan. A switch arm-36 is mounted for pivotal movement for successive,

connection with a number of contacts 38, the first of which energizes the fan motor 22 through the rheostat 34 and the others of which connect an increasingly larger number of heating elements in the circuit for operation. The type of heater disclosed is merely for illustrative purposes, any type of electrically operative heater being all that is required. v I I Asignal lamp All indicating when the heater is operative, and therefore indicating when the motor 22 is operative, is connected acrossthe first contact 38 and the line 33 by means of a conventional wire 52,--Reierenceto the wiring diagram clearly illustrates the electrical operating principle of the device.

Some makes of vehicles have shapes or" sills Mdiiierent from others. Thev sill 44 is the conventional one found in any window of a vehicle of the type having a vertically movable window pane 46. Accordingly, means is provided for the purpose of filling that part of the window openingbetween the upper edge of the window pane 46 and'below the top of the sill M Whenthe case Ill'i's disposed therein. Two separate and slightly different means are illustrated. The first consists of a framing consisting of upper and lower channel members 50' and 52 respectively which are fixed to the side of the case I!) by any suitable conventional means. A stationary panel 54 is provided in the upper and lower tracks"'50 and 52*and a movable panel 56 is juxtaposed with respectthereto. A stop pin 58 is carried by the panel 56 and engages an abutment 60 provided 01'1- the lower channel 52. This allows limited movement of an extensible nature of the panels 54 and 56 in order to fill the opening as disclosed in Figure 1. An identical structure is provided on the opposite side of the case in. Obviously, one of the panel arrangements may be obviated and the side'edge of the casing placed directly against the ventilator wing 54 when this is possible or in certain makes of vehicles against the post '65 adjacent the ventilator wing.

'-AS1ight1y modified form of the invention isdisclosed in Figure 6 and it is a. departure from the main views in that a transparent or .non-

transparent panel 68 is provided with a flangev 10 at its inner end and is adapted .towbe removably fastened to the side of. the'case it. A wing nut construction 12 may be used or, if it is round desirable, simple resilient clips may be carried by the casing having-the panel 68 removably in serted therein for ready removal and application. The .shape'of the panels is to be predetermined in accordance with the necessity of the particular vehicle; that is, a store or supply of-different shaped panels to fit various types of vehicles will be at hand and one will beat'tached-to the case immediately before the case is disposed in the Window opening, I

, A fresh air inlet l lis provided in the case lo,

said passageway adjacent fresh airinlet to travel a devious course within the fresh air chamber so that it may pass over a large amount of heating area before it is exhausted'through the heated air outlet 86 at the end Qf-the throat $8 in the heated air chamber 20. The fan 22 is also disposed in this throat,

in the form of a small-curved duct which rotatable in'a circular bearing .92 carried by the case throughthe medium of a peripheral flange 94 fixed-rigidly to the small duct-shaped'bafile 90.

Means removably'fastening the case' in the.

window opening as described is provided. This means i'si resilient in nature and consists ;of a.

channel lllll carried by the'upper surface of the case It and having a resilientstrip 12 therein fitted in the-slot in the upper sill M. A lower channel is'formed by an -L-shaped'rnember I'M' carried .by the case adjacent the junction of the'two' legs M and I2 respectively andhas a resilient lining I06 disposedtherein adapted'for' engagement with the upper edge of the window 45; A resilient pad is carried by the leg [2 and is indicated at I03. This resilient pad ngages,

l mant n w W the inner surface'of the window pane 45 for invention, what is '1.' An attachment for use ina vehicle window opening having a, vertically.,,slidi ng pane for closing same, said attachment comprising a gen-v erally L-shaped case having a horizontal portion and avertical portion, tion beingadapted to, be disposed between the upper, edge of said-pane andthe top of said window openingwith the vertical portion disposed within the vehicle, the lower, surface of said horizontal portion beingprovided with a channel strip a'dapted to receive the upper edge of thepane and position said opening, a heater structure izontal' portion, adapted to support aloud speaker and control means for" said heater, said heater structure in]- case in said window mounted in the hor-,

eluding an air inlet opening in theouter side oi said horizontal portion, a longitudinally offset air outlet on the inner side of said horizontal portion, a tortuousfpassageway connecting's'aid inlet and outletppenin'g, heating means disposed in said tortuous passageway for heating air passing" therethrough, a blower mounted within 2. The attachment of claim 1 wherein said tortuouspassageway is formed by a plurality of stagg red baflles and, said heating. means, includes heating coils extendingbetween said baiilesand said horizontal porf said vertical portion being said outlet opening.

5 6 supported thereby in the path of air flowing Number Name Date through said tortuous passageway. 1,952,514 Selby 1934 JAMES R. R K. 2, 72,744 Findley Mal. 2, 193 2,091,594 Innes Aug.. 31, 1937 REFERENCES CITED 5 ,230,020 Webster Jan. 28, 1941 The following references are of record in the 23355198 Rice et a1 1948 file of this atent 2,463,339 Wetzel et a1 Mar. 1, 1949 P 2,459,986 Phyfe May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTS I 2,529,425 Sharp Nov. 7, 1950 Number Name Date w 2,535,424 Josephson Dec. 26, 1950 1,650,918 Whitesel Nov. 29, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 718 083 Segelken June 18 1929 Number Country Date 13295165 Spammg 1931 299,626 Great Britain Nov. 1,1928

1,942,225 Tibbetts Jan. 2, 1934 

